All right, nothing else. We'll get started.
Let's just open with a prayer. Word of prayer.
The only Father I just, I give you this evening.
Lord, it says we open your word. Father, I just pray that you
take my jumbled thoughts and just put them into a word that
people can understand. Father that you just, you speak
through me. Father, I just I, I, I, I look
at your word and I just my desire is to be your servant
Lord, to use me however you, you see fit.
Lord, I just thank you for this time and this opportunity to
just to, to be with, with my brethren in this church.
Lord, they, they are an encouragement to me.
So just bless this time in Jesus name, Amen.
So is mistaken, as I went through this, we're first John
chapter 3, seven through 24 at the end of the chapter.
So I'm just going to read that and then we're just going to
kind of break it down. So first John chapter 3, verse
7, little children, let no one deceive you.
He who practice righteousness is righteous, and just as he is
righteous, he who sins of the devil.
For the devil has sinned from the the beginning, and for this
purpose the son of of God was manifest, that he might destroy
the works of the devil. Who has ever been born of God
does not sin, for he is the seed, for his seed remains in
him, and he cannot sin because he has been born of God.
Verse 10. And this children of in this the
children of God and the children of the devil are manifest.
Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor
is he who does not love his brother.
For this is the message that you've heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another not as Kane who was of wicked,
was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.
And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and
his brothers was righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if
the world hates you. We do.
We know that we have passed from death to life because we love
the brethren. He who does not love his brother
abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is is
a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life
abiding in him by this. We know love because he had laid
his life down for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for
the brethren. But whoever has this world's
goods and sees his brother in needs and shuts up his heart
from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in the world or in tongue,
but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are
the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
For if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts.
And knowing all things, beloved, if our hearts does not condemn
us, we have confidence towards God and whatever He asks we
receive from Him because He has kept His commandments and and do
those things that are pleasing in his sight.
And this is his commandment that we should believe in the name of
his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us
commandment. So in verse 7 he starts out that
little trailer will let no one deceive you who practice
righteousness or he who practice righteousness is righteous for
just as he is righteous he has he who sins is of the devil and
the devil is sin from the beginning for the purpose of the
son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the
devil. Whoever is born of God does not
sin for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he's
been born of God. So this sets up the idea of the
children of God. Dear John states who redefined
who is the child of God or the child of the devil through the
actions of love and righteousness.
This is the message from the beginning.
John 1334 through 35 says a new commandment I give to you that
you love one another as I have loved you and also love one
another. By this we know that you are my
disciples if you have loved one another.
And again in 1512 through 13, this is my commandment that you
love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one has has no one that than this to lay
down his life for his friends. So these commandments begin to
take root in our lives as as we study them and as as we grow as
Christians. This the love of God is is is
that thing that should take root and it says it kind of says in
there. So we are both of God.
Hang on, take your lives when we are born of God, we cannot sin.
You know the perpetual life of of sin.
We cannot sin continually is what I'm trying to say You know
we make mistakes and we do things but that perpetual life
of that we lived in the past. You know, we all have that past
where what was most important, the things that we did, the
things that we, we choose to do for ourselves.
And that's where that sin comes in.
But as we, as we grow and as we, we see God, we put those things
behind us and the sin of our lives begins to fade away.
And those mistakes that we make, we, we ought to go to God.
We take them to him. We, you know, put them before
him. So we don't live in that in that
life of continual sin because that I said that love of God
begins to dwell on US. Verses 10 and 12.
Let's see here and this the children of God and the children
of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice
righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his
brother. For this is the message we've
heard from the beginning, that he should love one another, not
as Cain who was wicked or one who'd murdered his brother.
And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and
his brother was righteous. So these are the foundations of
our, of our faith. When this kind of love is
manifest in our life, we know we are a child of God and but her
are these others. Cain, you know, not as Cain.
He murdered his brother. Why?
Because his works were evil. You know, Cain was, was self
motivated. He not, I hear something the
other day. Cain was, was such a bad man.
He at the very beginning he killed 1/3 of the population of
the world, I mean, or 1/4 of it. But I think, you know, Cain
strived to do what was right, but it was his gift was that of
what I could give, you know, out of well, I want to give, but
it's not it's not going to cost me too much.
Where he sees his brother Abel give of the first fruits.
That which is comes from from the heart that come that those
are the righteous acts that we we seek to to show.
And the world hates that the world hates that we are giving
of, of our best, you know, we, I don't want to put it, you know,
I keep what is mine and I give if as long as it doesn't hurt me
too much or it, it, it doesn't take away from what I have and I
can still go along in the world, that's what I'm willing to give.
But as Christians, we we desire to to give of what we have to
give from what God's called us to do.
You know, this seems a clear and defined life.
We walk a fine line. The Pharisees were righteous,
but they didn't have any love and love without righteousness
makes 1A partner with the devil and is almost it's all in the
motivation. Both sides are self motivating,
seeking only to show how great I am.
You know, we have that fake gooey love that makes you think
that what are they up to? You know, when people show you
that love and it's just, you know, you know, Victoria and I
were talking about it is just that, that intoxicated state of
mind that we, we show love towards one another.
But it's you're truly seeking something from somebody else.
I think that's where we got this stuff, Vic.
Excuse me? Yeah.
The, the, the, the child of God has to has a balance in this
righteousness. We have to balance our lives and
those things around us and we have to balance that love
towards others. We don't want to put ourselves
out there to a point that we can be taken advantage of.
But there are that that steps that I don't want to say it.
We need to be we need to be vulnerable in in certain
aspects, but just move on. John 313 do not marvel, my
brethren, if the world hates you.
Matthew, I didn't get to Matthew 20 verse 22 someplace and it'll
be and you will be hated for all my name's sake, but he who
endures to the end will be saved.
John 1714 I've given you them your word and the word was hated
them because they were not of the world, just as I am not of
the world here. Jesus had warned his disciples
that this would come when we stand in the gap, we stand in
that gap. We declared the love and the
light of Christ darkness will come against us and some of us
are shocked when this happens, but it's truly a part of life
and the calling that we are given.
You know we early on in our Christian lives.
We we want to be bold for our faith.
We want to go out and we have that that new spark.
I remember times back in Denver going out and doing St. ministry
and you have that desire to do that.
But then when that persecution come comes against you, is that
that the enemy begins to tear down and chip away at that
faith. You know, if we are not
continually filled with that spirit, we tend to shy away from
from from doing that. And that just, a lot of that
just comes from the maturity of, of being a witness for God, for
standing in that. And as, as we go on through
this, you'll see that it's, it's not just us as individuals, but
it takes the whole body of Christ to be able to do this.
You know, I can't do anything on my own.
I mean, I can do all things through God who strengthens me.
But it's the individuals in the body of Christ that actually
that, that, that strengthen me because they, they're standing
behind me and supporting me. It's like raising Moses arms in
the in the battle, you know, I, I trust and I, I, I, I rely upon
the the body of Christ first. John 314.
We know that we have passed from life to death because we love
the brethren. He who does not love his brother
abides in death without this love of salvation.
Without this love, salvation can be questioned.
John begins to lay out the working of this love.
The brethren is the body of Christ.
Do we pursue fellowship with other believers?
Even we are battered by unloving brothers and sisters.
Still I seek the fellowship with the body.
I do have family and that's important.
But when it comes down to it, this is family.
This is the one that I can trust.
You know, the, the, the people that in the church that I have
met and I've come across the ones that can look past my
failings and see my heart. You know, the, when we, we
stumble in our, in our daily lives, who's the first person
people to tear us down? Our family members, you know,
they're just, they're Oh yeah, you, you, you, you call yourself
a Christian, but look what you've done or, or you've done
this and you know, and it's hard because we want to minister to
our family and we want to show that the life of Christ that it,
it's really hard to show love to some people sometime.
And it's, it's hard to show love to those that have such a hatred
towards God or think they know God.
And I'm OK, I don't need to hear your message because me and God,
my my brother's famous sayings as me and God got a got a plan,
You know, we, we, we've got an idea.
We've got a pact. You know, I'm good.
You know, we have an agreement. So it it, it's really hard to
to, to minister those people. Charles Spurgeon says this.
Do you love for the do you love them for Christ's sake?
Do you say to yourself, that is one of Christ's people.
This is the one who bears Christ's cross.
That is the one of the children of God.
Therefore I love him and take delight in his company.
Then that is the evidence that you are not of the world.
You know, we could look at them and and and love them.
You know that again, it's, it's some of those family members.
They, they, they drive us hard, but we still have to love them.
You know, we still have to minister to them in some way.
You know, sometimes it's God gives you that there's you
you're not going to make any headway in that.
But till he actually comes out and says that, continue to love
them as Christ loves loves you. David Guzik says being a
Christian is more than saying I am a Christian.
There are in fact some who claim to be Christians who are not.
How can you know if you're one of these?
John's reply has been constant and simple.
There are three tests to measure the proof of a genuine Christian
the truth test, the love test, and the moral test.
If we believe in the Bible, if. If we believe in what the Bible
teaches is true, if we show the love of Jesus to others and and
if our conduct has been changed and is becoming more like Jesus,
then our claim to be a Christian can be proven true.
You know, I just again, it's all not necessarily out of outward
appearance. That's the easy thing to to do.
We can we can look the part. Yeah, we could be the actor on
the stage and and look like the perfect Christian, but what is
it? What's truly going on in our
hearts and in our own lives? You know what it what once we go
home and we shut that door is, is what I'm saying up here truly
being acted out in my life. You know, for many years that
wasn't the case. You know, God begins to work
and, and do things in my life that I, that I see.
And again, a lot of that comes back to those interactions that
I have with the body of Christ. Nothing teaches me more.
I have the scripture, I have, I have my prayer life, I have all
these things, but it's that interaction through the body of
Christ that really teaches me how to be a better Christian.
316 By this we know love because he laid down his life for us,
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Excuse me, So what is love? I know we've all heard this
before, but what if we define love the wrong way?
Then we then we have either a pass or failed grade.
Excuse me, we have the Eros. Love.
That was the one word was one word for love.
It described how we might guess from the world itself.
Erotic love, It refers to that sexual love.
Then there's the storgay, which was the second word for love.
It referred to a family love, the kind of love that is between
a parent and a child, between a family members in general.
Philea is the third word for love.
It is spoke of brotherly friendship, a fresh affection as
love. It is the love of deep
friendship and partnership. Flay of love might be described
as the highest love, what is capable without God's help.
Yeah. And I I see, let me rephrase
that. I have seen this type of love
being acted out in in in the church more than I do agape love
because it's easy. We go to a church and it's
becomes a Country Club. You know, we, we have our, our
groups and our friendships and, and I, I've been in many
churches where you have your little cliques.
You know, you have this group that gets together and then
they're all friendships. But I'm sitting over here on
this side of the church and I can't be in your group because
we have nothing in common. You know, we should have Christ
in common, but, but, but we don't because we're just here
because it's a Sunday afternoon and, or Sunday morning.
And what else are we supposed to be doing?
We we, we go to church and we have food and fellowship and
then we go our part our ways and we forget about you for the rest
of the week unless you're in my sewing circle or my fishing
circle or or whatever. But agape is the fourth word for
love. It describes love that loves
without changing. It is self giving love that
gives without demanding and expecting repayment is love so
great that it can be given to the unlovable and unpeeling.
It is the love that even with when it is rejected, agape love
gives and loves because it wants to.
It does not demand or expect repayment for the love given.
It gives because it loves. It does not love in order to
receive. And this is the love that Christ
showed He he gave of himself, that it was no nothing in
return. We can confuse love and wind up
being hurt. You know the word love has
gotten men into trouble more times than anything it comes
from. It comes out freely with a
selfish desire, but loves, but true love.
The example that God laid out. Romans 568 But when we were
still without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely of a righteous man
will one die, yet perhaps for a good man, someone who could even
dare to die. But God demonstrated his own
love towards us and that while we are still sinners, Christ
died for us. You know that that ultimate
gift, that of of laying one down one's life down for another.
Jesus death was not necessary the ultimate demonstration of
love, but it shows us that love shows us that that love it is
finished. That last gasp, the life up to
that point, you know, that was love.
You know, did Christ went to the cross for our sins and he died
and paid that price. He didn't need to, you know, he
prayed that that cup would pass, that something else can be done,
but he can, He finished it. He went through it to that, to
that very last breath. In a in a sermon titled The
Death of Christ for His People, Charles Spurgeon drew three
points from this great sentence. How great must have been our
sins, how great must have been his love, and how safe the
believer in the love of Christ. The security we have in Christ
should translate to others in our lives.
Jesus prayer for the disciples before he went to the cross
showed his heart, showed the love of Jesus to others.
And if our conduct has been changed and is becoming more
like Jesus, then our claim to be a Christian can be proven true.
You know, it's just every time I read through these things and,
and, and, and see that and begin to understand that even more.
I mean, I don't think there's any greater concept in the, in
the whole Bible, but the, the love of God towards us.
I mean, from the very beginning, you know, in the beginning, he
created the heavens and the earth.
Why? Because he created a people that
would have fellowship with him to, to love him where we went
off the rails because sin entered the, the earth.
And that whole time he's been working to bring us back to
that. I mean that there's no greater
love than that. I don't know.
I don't know where I went wrong with that, but I did.
Excuse me, John, 17, 16 through 18.
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
We may never come to the point of actually dying for someone,
but the sacrifice should be the same.
Is my life more important than another?
Am I willing to do whatever it takes to further the gospel?
These are heavy concepts, but to put it simply, we must excuse.
But to put it simply, we, we must excuse us from the
equation. I'm not part of it.
We, he calls us to do these things.
We are not of the world, we are of Him.
My needs are not important, and we must meet the needs of the
church and the people around us. If, if God has blessed us out of
the abundance, we should bless others.
There are so many who need help, but I've seen this body step up
and meet the needs and that's encouraging.
We talked about ministering to others in many ways, but as the
saying goes, talk is cheap. Our hearts must be open.
The needs are more than financial or worldly goods.
These are important, but you have to be cautious in that you
know, we've today's society wants to take advantage of the
church. You know, we are called to, to
meet those, those deeds and, and benevolence and the, the, the
person, the homeless person on the street or the, the, the
person that walks through that door.
But we need to enter in these things in prayer.
We can't just hand out money or, or things to people without
truly being in a prayerful life. Because again, there's, there's
so many people that take advantage of the church
nowadays. I mean, how many of these people
out here on the streets, they're panhandling are making, you
know, 6 figures a year. You know, there's some of these
guys, they look like they don't have a dime in their pot, but
they're making, you know, a couple $100,000 a year.
So you just do things as God leads.
David Guzik says this. What is the limit to this kind
of love? The only limit is the one that
love itself imposes when giving to a person.
If meeting is perceived or immediate need does him harm
instead of good, then loving thing to do is not to give him
what he asked for, but instead to give him what he really
needs. Chapter Lewis says it is easier
to be enthusiastic about humanity with a capital H than
it is to love individual men and women, especially those who are
uninteresting, exasperating, depraved, or otherwise
unattractive. Loving everybody in general may
be an excuse for loving nobody in particular.
And finally, first John 319 through 21.
And by this we know that we are the truth, and shall assure our
hearts before Him, for our heart condemns us.
Great God is greater than our heart and knows these things.
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence
toward God to know that we are of the truth and stand right
before Him. That can be a heavy burden.
Am I doing all that God commands?
Am IA vigilant prayer warrior? Or in this context, am I loving
the brother that in all that I have, That assurance is
essential? We need to know I am truly
saved. Am I walking with the Lord?
Did my bad day stumble me and pull me out of the grace of God?
You know they all have those things did did what I did.
Is that truly? Am I still walking with God?
God knows our hearts have those. We may have those convictions of
the heart, but God is greater than our heart.
First Corinthians 4-5 through 4 For I know nothing against
myself, yet I am not justified by this.
But he who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes,
who will both bring it to light the hidden things of darkness,
and reveal the counsels of the hearts.
Then each one praises will come from God.
You know, our perfections and misdeeds are outward and
foolish. God is watching the intent and
the dedication that we have towards His children against
Spurgeon says this. He says sometimes our heart
condemns us, but in doing so it gives a wrong verdict and we
have the satisfaction of being able to take the case to a
higher court. For God is greater than our
heart, and know knoweth all things.
Romans 816. For the Spirit himself bears
witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
In these things we have all confidence in God and our hearts
should be at peace, which leads to a prayer life that is filled
with hope. First, John 3/22 Whatever we
ask, we receive from him because we keep His commandments and do
those things that are pleasing in His sight.
As we become in that intimate communion into that into
communion, our hearts and our desires change.
We no longer seek after worldly goods and wisdom, but the things
of God. Don't get me wrong, God does
care about our wants and our desires, but how important do
they become as life grows closer to His heart, we see the needs
of others being met his hand in the life of that person or the
blessing for that one. But when I least expected God
comes along and fulfills one of my needs.
It's my focus is not on me but on others and God will use
somebody in my life Now one of the the greatest blessings that
that I've we've had in our lives.
Victoria and I, many years ago, we were both down with, with our
knees out. You know, I had both my knees
gone, Victoria had an ACL out and here we are.
We're stuck on a couch for 3-4 weeks and we've always been busy
and about doing things for other people.
Then all of a sudden we can't do anything yet.
But the church came together and we have people that are coming
in, bringing us meals. People are coming in and
cleaning our house, grabbing our laundry, taking out and doing
our laundry. And yeah, it's the thing that
kept coming to mind was be still and know that I am.
Lord, You know, we're trying to, we, we sat down, we just spent a
lot of time in prayer and study and watch God really move.
And sometimes we don't want people to bless us with certain
things. We want it.
We want to be able to be the one that's doing everything very
best. But just on a side note on this,
allow people to bless you, allow them to come into your life and
to give you those blessings because it's it's an honor to do
that for other people. And if we rob them of their
blessings, yeah, it's whatever. That's that's just kind of a
side note on that. But So what does the Lord's
praise, Lord's Prayer say? It says not my will, but your
will be done too many years. I've worried about so many
things and I've released my grip and purpose to serve him and
that weight is being lifted. You know, as I as I, I, I step
forward and, and I want to do these things for God.
The the weights and, and the worries and are are being lifted
up. I'm not so worried about what
the future holds anymore, you know, because I can't.
It's whatever God wants, wherever He wants to use me, use
me. And then finally first John 323
through 24 And this is His commandment, that we should
believe that in the name of the Son of Jesus Christ and love one
another as He gave us commandment.
Now He who keeps His commandments abides in him and
in him, and he and him. And by this we know that He
abides us by the Spirit whom God has given us.
Finally, John brings the idea of keeping his commandments in full
circle, circle and states them I'm in Matthew 23 through 3037
through 39. He says Jesus said to him, you
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the first and great commandment and the second is
like it. You shall love your neighbors
yourself. These two commandments merge and
become one. Our belief in Jesus is the key
to it all. Our eyes are fixed upon him and
we abide in him. The Romans 8-9 But you are not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God
dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he is not his. You know, to sum all this up,
you know I have seen a lot happen.
I've, I've, I've been a part of this church body for I don't
know how many years. Atlanta knows it's been a long,
long time, but we've seen a lot of good things happen and we've
seen a lot of bad things happen. But I can, I can say sure for
sure today in this church body, love abounds here.
You know, there's, there's a there's a love of this core
group of believers that I've never experienced in my entire
life as a Christian. Take confidence in him and abide
because I feel loved here and I know you guys love each other
and and I'm grateful for that. Let's pray Heavenly Father, I
just thank you that we can come to you and, and know your love
as as we we seek you, you you fill us with your spirit.
You give us direction, Father, I pray that we we can go forth and
continue to, to love this community and know it's the
heart heart of our pastor and his and his wife to to minister
to this community. Father, I pray that we can be a
useful tool here, that we can grow as as a body, if not in
numbers, Lord, but in love for you and for those around us.
Lord, thank you for this evening and this time.
I pray safety as we as we travel home from here tonight, Lord,
and thank you for all these things and praise in Jesus name,
Amen. That's all I got.